Today could have been the end of the line for the bill for a new Minnesota Vikings' stadium for this legislative session. However, the House Rules Committee decided not to let the bill die after all, granting it an exemption that allows it to move on to its next stop.
There was no discussion or debate for the bill in the Rules Committee, and the whole process reportedly took less than ten minutes. From here, the bill will head to the House Government Operations and Elections Committee. That hearing will likely take place on Thursday, April 17, after everyone returns from the break for the Easter holiday.
A second bill will go to the Taxes Committee. That is the bill that will provide extra relief to charitable gaming and identifies backup funding sources if pull tabs and tip boards fall short of the state's annual contribution.
Of course, while the stadium legislation moves through the House, the legislation has been stuck in the Senate since March 14. Hopefully as the bill gets further through the House, the Senate will realize that it's time to get moving on this whole thing.
But, the Vikings' stadium bill is not dead for this legislative session. It's probably a bit of a long shot to get done before things close up for the year, but it still has a chance.